


Hotter Than Coffee

by pillowcreek



Category: The Bridge (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/F, First Meetings, Flirting, Fluff, Nonbinary Bertie Renard, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-10 23:26:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13511958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pillowcreek/pseuds/pillowcreek
Summary: Kate has a mundane life working at a coffee shop. The only real perk to the job - besides the percolating coffee - is getting to work with her two best friends.And then the most beautiful woman in the world stops by.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, last new WIP for a while! Promise! Only new works for a bit will be the occasional oneshot! I have a schedule!

Kate had always imagined that the day she’d meet her future wife would be the most romantic and beautiful day of her life. She’d meet the woman and she would be absolutely perfect for her from the moment she met her. They’d fall in love instantly and everything would be amazing. It was cliched, but hey, whatever gets you through a homophobic high school, right? 

The reality was a little bit different. 

It had been thundering the entire morning and so hardly anyone had ventured out into the cold for their morning coffee. Kate had spent the morning trying not to fall asleep, an event brought on by the dim lighting in the coffeeshop and the fact that she hadn’t been able to get her own morning coffee yet because she had been running late and hadn’t gotten her first break yet. She kept glancing at the clock, wishing that time would move just a little bit faster. 

“You spelled my name wrong.” 

Kate looked over at the woman who had spoken. She looked like she had been soaked through to the bone, her curly hair frizzing around her face. She was examining her coffee cup with a small frown, as though she couldn’t quite figure out what it was. 

“Sorry,” Kate said. “It happens sometimes.” 

The woman looked up at her. “Hm? Oh, yeah. Doesn’t happen to me that much, my name’s pretty easy. But I guess Etha works too.” 

Kate shifted awkwardly, unsure how to respond. 

The woman shrugged. “Not that it matters anyways, we’re all going to die soon.” She took a large gulp of the coffee before turning and walking out of the store. 

And that was the first time that Kate met the woman she would soon marry. Not exactly the most romantic meeting: reminding someone of their inevitable doom doesn’t exactly scream candlelit dinners and romance. 

* * *

Their second meeting didn’t go much better. 

Etha, as Kate had decided to nickname her until she found out what name she had actually given to Bertie, came in during a rush while Kate and Bertie were both on cash. Kate leaned over to whisper to them. 

“Let me take her,” she said. 

Bertie gave her a confused look. “Huh? Yeah, okay. If you want to. Thanks.” 

Before Kate could ask what they meant by that, they were waving over one of their more unlikeable regulars. “Ms. Elmore? Kate can help you over here.” 

The old lady wobbled up to Kate’s cash slowly and she put on her best you’re-the-customer-of-course-you’re-right face as Roger stiffened beside her. “Hi there Ms. Elmore. What can I get for you today? The usual?” 

She scoffed. “Of course I’ll be having the usual. Do you remember what it is, or are you too stupid to remember a basic order?” 

Kate widened her smile to hide the murderous feeling in her gut. “Of course I remember it. One small black coffee, cream on the-“ 

“Don’t of course me!” she snapped. “Youth these days! Always having to be right, not caring if they’re rude in the process! Didn’t anybody teach you any manners?” 

“My apologies.” Kate pinched Bertie’s leg under the counter where no one could see. They yelped and Roger shot her a glare. Whoops. 

Ms. Elmore gave Bertie a dirty look. “What an odd boy. Yelping for no good reason. Now, will you be getting me my order or will I have to wait all day?” 

Etha stepped up to Bertie’s cash and gave Kate a sympathetic look. She decided that she’d like to die now. “Roger will have it ready for you at the end in just a moment. That’ll be $3.75 please.” 

After the rush died down, Kate grabbed Bertie before they could retreat back into the kitchen. “What the hell was that for? Why’d you saddle me with Ms. Elmore?” 

“What? You said you’d take her!” they said. 

“No! I _clearly_ wanted to take the cute girl!” 

“Which cute girl?” 

“Seriously Bertie? How could you not see how incredibly stunning this girl was?” 

“No, I meant-“ Bertie glanced around quickly to make sure that Roger wasn’t listening in. Luckily for them, their boyfriend was off mopping the other side of the store. They lowered their voice just in case. “There’s a lot of cute girls that come in here. Which one?” 

“The short one with the dark curls. You served her while I was dealing with Ms. Elmore.” 

“Ohhh her! Yeah, she was cute.” They gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry. I’ll let you get her next time.” 

Kate smiled. “Thanks. Sorry I pinched you.” 

“It’s fine. Hey, if it makes you feel better, I definitely got a gay vibe from her.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Oh, definitely.” 

“Bertie!” Roger glared at them from across the store. “Are you planning on doing your job any time today? We’re out of almost everything from this morning.” 

They squeaked. “Right! Sorry Roger!” 

“You’re fine.” 

Bertie gave Kate another apologetic smile. “I really am sorry. Let me make it up to you?” 

“Sure. You can buy all of my break coffees today.” 

“Deal.” 

* * *

The third time Etha came into the shop, Bertie left for the back as soon as she came in. Kate gave the woman a wide smile. “Hi! What can I get for you today?” 

She approached the counter slowly, examining the menu boards with a small frown. “What would you recommend for studying for a long period of time? I have to make some serious progress on this paper and I’d feel bad if I stayed here without drinking anything so I’m getting a large, but black coffee’s disgusting when it’s cold.” 

“And it’s not when it’s hot?” Kate teased. 

Etha looked over at Kate and her stomach did a flip. Her eyes were a shade of soft hazel, like melted caramel. She smiled and Kate felt like she could fly. “That’s why you drink it fast. So you don’t have to deal with the horrible taste.” 

“Why not just get something that actually tastes good?” 

“Cause it has more caffeine in it.” 

“Actually, that’s a myth,” Kate said. 

Her eyebrows raised. “Really?” 

“Common misconception. When you make coffee at home, you put in the same amount of coffee, regardless of cream and sugar, right?” 

“Yeah.” 

“So the caffeine levels don’t actually change. It’s just the water level. And the taste, of course.” 

Etha stared at her for a few seconds before her head dropped to the counter with a groan. “So you mean I’ve been drinking disgusting coffee for years for no reason?” 

“Sorry,” Kate said. 

She looked up at her. “Give me an extra-large of your most delicious coffee. Please.” 

“Sure thing,” Kate said. “Name for the cup?” 

“Etta,” she said. “Do you need me to spell it for you? Cause the guy who usually takes my order keeps getting it wrong.” 

“No, I’ve got it. I think they’ve just been mishearing you. It gets loud in here. Etha sounds similar to Etta.” 

“I know, but stiiillllll.” 

“If it makes you feel better, someone once put my name down as Kale.” 

Etta laughed. “What’s your actual name?” 

“Kate,” she said, pointing at her name tag. 

“Oh. Name tag. Right,” she said, smiling sheepishly. 

“It’s okay, I forget about them too. Roger - my supervisor - he’s had to yell at me more than once to go back and put it on.” 

Etta wrinkled her nose. “Sounds like a tough boss.” 

“He’s not so bad. Nice once you get to know him. Bertie lucked out though, since they’re dating and so he tells them off less. Totally unfair.” 

“Isn’t that technically favouritism?” 

“Nah. He tells them off enough that it doesn’t really count.” 

She laughed. “Oh yeah, definitely doesn’t sound ‘not so bad.’” 

Kate grinned. “He’s not!” 

“Mmhm, sure, I believe you. How much do I owe you and what is that?” Etta asked, pointing at the takeout cup Kate held out to her. 

“Chai tea latte. I promise you’ll love it. And four dollars.” 

“Sounds delicious,” she said, handing her a five dollar bill in exchange for the cup. “And it’ll keep me up for a while?” 

“Long enough to make decent progress on that paper of yours.” 

Etta grimaced. “Let’s hope so.” 

She headed off for one of the corner tables and Bertie sidled up next to Kate. “Soooo?” 

She sighed and rested her chin in her hands. “She’s perfect.” 

They snorted. “You’re a useless lesbian.” 

“Hey, at least this useless lesbian actually did work for the past five minutes instead of stalking their best friend.” 

“Touché. But hey, Roger didn’t notice, so we’re all good.” 

“Roger didn’t notice what, Bertie?” Roger asked from the door to the back. 

Bertie stiffened and looked at Kate desperately. “Uhh…” 

Kate laughed. “You’re on your own here, bud.” 

“You didn’t notice how cute you look today?” they said hopefully. 

Roger’s eyes narrowed. “No flirting at work. You know the rules.” 

“But you’re so cute!” 

He rolled his eyes and headed back into the kitchen. Bertie relaxed. “I hate how quietly he moves sometimes.” 

“It’s like having a cat,” Kate said. 

“Speaking of cats…” 

“Bertie, no! Please tell me you guys aren’t getting a cat! They’re so expensive!” 

“But they’re so cute!” they said. “And then I can cuddle them whenever Roger has to work overtime. It’s perfect!” 

“And if you two break up?” 

“We’re not going to break up. It’s been almost two years.” 

“Hm, true. Anyways, you’d better get back to work before Roger comes back out and yells at you.” 

“Don’t stare too much,” they teased before heading back into the kitchen. 

“I’ll try…” Kate muttered as her eyes drifted over to where Etta was scowling at her laptop. It was hard not to. Her future wife was just so gorgeous.


	2. Chapter 2

Etta had never expected to befriend her barista. It was one of those things that just seemed kind of odd to her: baristas were working, they didn’t have time to talk to her. And some of them seemed annoyed if you said so much as a thank you to them. Befriending your barista was something that happened in movies. Not in real life. 

The coffee shop around the corner from her apartment was perfect. It was a decent sized place, large enough that she could usually find a seat, but small enough that it was still cozy. There was an armchair in the corner of the shop that was perfect for doing schoolwork: soft enough that her butt didn’t hurt after three hours, but not so soft that it was annoying to sit in and work at the table, as well as remote enough that she didn’t have the worst of the noise. 

The perfection seemed to include the baristas as well. There were three that were usually working when Etta came by, and they were varying degrees of likability. Okay, Bertie and Kate were great, Roger was slightly obnoxious. Or at least that was the impression that Etta got from him. She had yet to properly meet the guy, although Kate insisted that he wasn’t that bad once you got to know him. Bertie, of course, wouldn’t hear a bad word about the guy. 

Kate was definitely perfect though. Over the few weeks since Etta had begun coming to the shop, they had quickly become friends. Kate was funny and friendly, and if Etta timed it right, she would have just enough time to talk with her at the counter for a bit before the next customer came in. 

They had started off simple. 

“How’s your day going?” Kate asked as she prepped Etta’s iced coffee. After learning that drinking coffee black really didn’t make any sort of difference in terms of caffeine, she had decided to make her way through the entire menu, starting off with the items that were the most recognizable. Because what the hell was an Americano? 

“It’s alright. I’ve got a mountain of readings to get through, and then about seventeen essays to grade,” Etta said. 

Kate glanced up, interested. “Are you a teacher?” 

“Of sorts. I’m a TA.” 

“Oh, cool! Do you get paid for that? I’ve always wondered.” 

“Yeah, we do. It’s a pretty sweet gig, except for the part where you have to read terrible papers,” Etta said. 

“What are they on?” Kate asked. 

“Ethics of scientific studies. Super exciting stuff.” 

“Sounds like it.” She handed her the coffee. “Try that.” 

Etta took a sip. “Delicious.” 

Then they had gotten a little more interesting. 

“Worst thing that you ever ate?” Etta asked, watching Kate search for the whipped cream in the fridge. Who knew that salted caramel lattes came with whipped cream? 

She turned to face Etta, looking more serious than someone crouched on the floor in front of a mini fridge probably should. “You have to swear never to tell Roger.” 

She grinned. “I swear.” 

Whipped cream in hand, Kate closed the fridge and leaned across the counter. “So one night, it’s super slow,” she whispered, “and we’re super bored. It’s just Bertie and me on the shift. It’s almost closing, and we’re probably not going to be selling most of the food that we have left. So rather than let it go to waste, Bertie and I decide to get creative.” 

“Oh no…” Etta breathed. 

Kate grinned. “We covered the leftover lunch buns with chocolate sauce, sprinkles, and whipped cream. We thought they would taste like donuts. They did not.” 

Etta laughed. “That’s horrible!” 

“I know right?” Kate set about finishing up Etta’s drink, still grinning. “I think Bertie would argue what they had to eat was worse because they almost threw up, but those were pretty damn disgusting.” 

“What did you make them eat?” 

“You won’t want your drink if I tell you,” she said. 

Etta turned to where Bertie was mopping the floors. “Hey Bertrand!” 

They looked over. “What?” 

“No no Etta, you really don’t want to know!” Kate whispered. 

Kate tried to cover her mouth but Etta shrugged off her hand. “What did Kate make you eat?” she asked. 

They paled. “Oh god, Kate! You told her?” 

“She made me,” Kate lied. 

“Come on! Somebody tell me!” Etta said. 

“Candy cane bits, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and cinnamon. We thought it would taste like hot chocolate. It didn’t,” Bertie said, cringing at the memory. 

Etta wrinkled her nose. “Ugh, yeah, I can see how that would be gross.” 

“I must emphasize, we were super bored,” Kate said. 

“That’s my kind of boredom buster,” Etta said with a laugh. 

And then even more interesting. 

“First kiss?” Etta asked, leaning over the counter to watch Kate steam the milk for her coffee. Today she was trying something called a flat white. She was skeptical, but Kate assured her that it would be good. 

Kate pushed her head back gently. “It’ll spray in your face.” 

“Answer the question,” she said in a singsong voice. 

Kate paused. “Marsha Jenkins, tenth grade.” 

Etta grinned. So she did like women. Probably. “Nice. First girlfriend?” 

“If you count three days a relationship.” 

“Last kiss?” 

“My friend Yvette got super drunk and made out with me at a party.” 

“And were you also super drunk?” Etta asked, trying to ignore the happy fluttering in her stomach. Definitely liked women. 

“Mildly tipsy,” Kate said. 

“She was wasted,” Bertie called from across the store. 

Kate stuck her tongue out at them and Etta laughed. “Would you have made out with her if you had been sober?” she asked. 

She considered the question. “Maybe. Probably.” 

“You’re a useless lesbian!” Bertie yelled. 

“Damn straight!” Kate shouted back. 

“Well not really straight,” Etta said, earning a grin from Kate. “So girls, huh?” 

“Girls,” she repeated. 

Etta laughed. “My attraction’s a little broader, but I feel that. Girls are hot.” 

Kate’s cheeks flushed pink. “Very hot.” 

“Hey Bertie,” Etta turned to watch them wipe down tables. “Thoughts on girls?” 

“Beautiful and stunning,” they replied. 

“Everyone here really likes girls,” Kate said. “It’s the one thing we can all agree on: girls are hot. Bertie and Roger also agree on boys and non-binary people, but I’m only into girls.” 

“I can think of one other thing you agree on,” Etta said. 

“Yeah?” 

“The fact that Bertie’s adorable.” 

“I like this girl!” Bertie said, grinning. Etta gave them finger guns. 

“Bertie.” Roger stuck his head out of the back room. “You need to make a new batch of blueberry muffins.” 

“Got it, boss,” they said, heading back towards the counter. Before going into the kitchen, they whispered something in Kate’s ear. She blushed and hit them with a cloth. They laughed and followed Roger into the back. 

Etta raised her eyebrows. “Got a secret?” 

Kate’s blush deepened. “No. Bertie’s just being an asshole.” 

“Really? Doesn’t sound like them.” 

“They can be an asshole when they want to be. Luckily they don’t usually want to be.” Kate held Etta’s coffee out to her. She took it and felt her stomach flip as her fingers brushed Kate’s. She ducked her head as her cheeks warmed. 

“Thanks. This should get me through the midterms from hell.” 

“Good luck,” Kate said, but her voice sounded tight. Etta glanced up to see that Kate’s entire face was red. 

_Weird,_ she thought as she headed for her usual spot. _Maybe she was feeling sick today? Or maybe she’s just warm from all the coffee machines._

Back at the counter, Kate buried her face in her hands, wishing that she wasn’t so painfully obvious with her crush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on tumblr @pillowcreeks! Feedback and comments are appreciated! Hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr @thenightcrowd


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